November 13th, 2008 — carbohydrates, fats, goals, healthy eating, proteins, sugar
By far, the most common reason that diets fail is due to the fact that people simply feel too deprived and they lose sight of their goals. While we all want to lose weight and feel better, the siren call of our favorite foods can be so powerful that we abandon these dreams and cave to our cravings. However, there are a few techniques that you can use to ensure that you'll be able to resist these calls and keep your diet on track.
The first key is to select a diet that contains the right balance of fats, proteins and carbs. Your body needs to have fuel to live and if you're depriving it of this necessary balance you're not only going to feel awful, but your body is going to start issuing some pretty strong demands. For example, if you attempt to completely cut sugar out of your life, your body, which has grown accustomed to this balance over the years is going to rebel.
This means that after a few days you may be so overwhelmed with cravings for sugar that you simply cannot help yourself. You can learn a very good lesson from a phenomenon that occurs when people adapt strict eating plans, such as fruitarianism. This is a type of vegetarianism where only fruit can be consumed. Over the first few weeks, most people who adopt this diet go through a period where they become so depleted and their bodies get so insistent that they binge without even realizing it.
The second key is to learn from these mistakes and adopt a natural regimen that will slowly train your body to accept your new food choices. Rome wasn't built in a day and you're not going to be able to suddenly start eating healthy and expect everything to go smoothly. You've got to take that time to retrain your body so that you can avoid falling off the wagon.
Let's use the example of giving up sugar soda entirely. This is a very easy way to instantly carve off ten pounds or more (or 300+ calories for 12oz if you dislike hyperbole), but it is very difficult to do. Instead of going cold turkey, start a gradual reduction. Cut back by one soda a day for the first week, then two sodas a day, until you get to the point where you are no longer drinking it. By slowing modifying your intake, your body has time to adjust and your cravings will not be so intense.
A commitment to weight loss requires more than just a week or too. It may take months or even years to achieve your goals. By taking it slow and listening to what your body needs, you can be assured that six months from now, you'll still be on track for your weight loss goals instead of being back where you started.
Losing weight is not easy, but you don't need to make it harder on yourself. Take the time that it takes and set realistic goals.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
November 13th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, drink, food, healthy eating
Sometimes it is too easy to make excuses about eating the right foods. Whether it’s simply inconvenient, we feel that eating healthy deprives us, or the lure of unhealthy food is too strong, we end up putting off eating right until it may be too late. Here are five easy ways that you can start eating better, right now – today even, before you get into more unhealthy territory.
1. Start with dessert.
Sometimes, there is nothing quite like a dessert, especially after a good dinner. However, that simple little piece of cake may pack more than half of your day’s calorie allotment. This is the perfect opportunity to start sneaking some healthy food choices into your diet, and chances are, you’ll end up liking them just as much. Instead of having that piece of cake, try a piece of fruit. If that is too much, consider adding frozen yogurt instead. Making small changes like this during one meal will help you make bigger changes all day long.
2. Replace your snacks with something better.
Afternoon snacks are sometimes necessary to get us through a long day, but that doesn’t mean that you have to automatically reach for a candy bar. In fact, what your body really needs is a quick dose of protein. It will hold you longer and give you more energy than simple carbs. Instead of something sweet, go with a small serving of low fat cottage cheese, or a stick of low fat string cheese. Other great snacks include a small handful of peanuts, or almonds that contain healthy fats.
3. Throw out that soda.
Many of us have a nasty soda habit that can be hard to break. Start by replacing one soda a day with some sparkling flavored water. You’ll still get that carbonation, and the flavor will make the water a little more palatable. Once you’ve cut back on one soda, gradually increase your replacements until you’re no longer drinking any. It will be easier on your body to gradually wean yourself off of the caffeine. Soda is full of empty calories, and you should notice a big difference, even by cutting only one out of your daily diet.
4. Switch up your carbs.
Instead of reaching for a loaf of white bread in the store, go for a whole grain loaf. These carbs are a little better for you and will help you feel more satisfied. It can take a little getting used to, but after a week or two you may find that you actually prefer whole grain bread to white bread.
5. Skip the dressing.
If you eat a lot of salads, but can’t seem to lose any weight, the culprit may be your dressing. Replace any high fat dressings with either low fat vinaigrettes or switch to a lower fat version of your current dressing. Instead of putting it on your salad, place it on the side and dip your lettuce in. You’ll be surprised at how much you have left over.
Photo Credit: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
September 30th, 2008 — caffeine, hydration, sodium, water, wellness
As summer gets closer, many of us are taking our exercise routines outside. It's a great time of year to get out and enjoy nature, but this is also the time of year when the risk of dehydration becomes very real. If you have ever been seriously dehydrated, you know how awful it feels. You become weak, disoriented and you may even do serious harm to your body. It is vital to avoid dehydration during exercise, but luckily, it's also pretty easy!
1. Avoid caffeine.
The number one reason that many of us become dehydrated is due to an excess consumption of caffeine, especially right before exercise. Coffee and tea are the most common culprits since they are incredibly high in caffeine, but soda can be just as dangerous. When you know you're going to be exercising, replace any caffeinated beverage you would normally drink with water. This is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you don't get dehydrated.
2. Listen to your body.
If you start feeling a bit dizzy during your workout, or you feel like you are "whiting" out, this is a big signal that your body is depleted. You need to stop immediately and get some water. Yes, it's a pain, and yes once you get going with exercise, you really don't want to stop, but you need to stop. Sit out and get a bottle of water. Once you feel better, get back to it, but at a slower pace. If you were really affected, you may be done for the day. Don't beat yourself up though. Just take more precautions next time. If you feel that your face is getting really hot, or you look very red and overheated, you need to stop exercising and take a break.
3. Increase your water consumption.
It goes without saying that the more you sweat, the more water you lose. Unlike the winter months, when we really only sweat when we exercise, during summer, you may actually be sweating all day long. You're going to need to up your water intake, especially on days when it is very hot. Just remember that too much water is a bad thing too. Add no more than two or three extra glasses of water, and never drink more than half a gallon in one sitting to be on the safe side, much less if you are small.
4. Avoid diuretics.
If you are taking any diuretics to help you lose weight and you are not under the care of a doctor, you are at serious risk for dehydration. If you are on prescribed medication, you will need to discuss your exercise plan with your doctor and work out how to stay hydrated. It is also important to avoid foods that are natural diuretics, such as celery or coffee. Both can seriously deplete your fluids and you may not even realize it. Always use caution when exercising if you have been taking a diuretic.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
September 29th, 2008 — alternative ideas, calories, diet
For many of us, dieting is a form of deprivation that is extremely difficult to handle. It's tough to get through the day when you are literally starving yourself. Before you even start a diet, you're going to need to make sure that you are getting enough calories to get through the day while still reducing your current intake. In some cases, it's best to start slow and build up from there.
For example, we all know that in order to lose one pound in a week, we need to cut 3500 calories out of our diet for that week. Instead of trying to do it all in one day, find a way to cut 500 calories out of your daily diet. This can be as simple as not drinking soda or foregoing that high calorie snack. These little things can really add up. For example, if you frequently go to a coffee shop and get a latte or anything that has a lot of calories, replace this with regular coffee or even add a little non-fat creamer to it to make it taste better. You'll be carving out another 200 calories or more every single day.
These are little ways that you can go on a "diet" without making it feel like a real diet. You're not really depriving yourself of food, you're just cutting out the danger foods that contain a lot of useless calories. Once you start on that path slowly, it's a lot easier to get to the end. Remember, this is not a race. You're more likely to keep those pounds off by creating healthy habits and sticking to them.
Once you've gotten to the point where it is easy to cut these little useless calories out of your diet, you can move on to the next step. Let's say you want to lose 2 pounds a week. This requires cutting out 7000 calories to your weekly diet. You can easily accomplish this again, without feeling deprived, by targeting some of the more high calorie foods in your diet. Start writing down everything you eat during the day. You may be surprised at just how many calories one serving of a dessert or entrée can pack.
If you frequently eat out, chances are you are piling on the calories without even noticing it. Try not eating out for two weeks, and eat a sensible low calorie dinner at home. You'll find the weight literally melting off of you. In order to accomplish this, you may need to make some substations. Since we're going for the low stress, no deprivation variety, we're going to start small. Start by cutting all the fat off a cut of meat and broiling it instead of frying it. Instead of fried potatoes, go for mashed potatoes with a low fat margarine. You'll be able to easily replace all of those high calorie foods with alternatives that taste good. Add in some exercise and you're set!
Photo Credit: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
August 19th, 2008 — caffeine, healthy eating, sugar, trigger food
Whenever you start a new diet, cravings are pretty much inevitable. It can get to the point where you feel as though you'll literally stop existing unless you cave in. Countless diets are broken due to cravings, but there are a few techniques that you can use to retrain your cravings and keep your diet on track.
First, before you even start your diet, you'll need to figure out what your trigger foods are, the ones that you simply cannot do without, the ones that always derail your diet. By looking at this process logically, you can skip a lot of the problems that can happen when you first start your diet.
Whatever diet you pick, you'll most likely find that you'll have to give up these trigger foods. You're brain is convinced their necessary and it will start sending out the signals that start the craving process when it doesn't get them.
In order to retrain your cravings, you're going to need to start gradually. As an example, let's use sugar soda to illustrate this process. If you currently drink 3-4 sodas a day, you're dealing with two major triggers, caffeine and sugar. Cutting out soda is a great way to lose weight, but it can also be very difficult.
Personally, I like diet soda which has caffeine but not sugar and there are some varieties without caffeine. First try switching to diet soda from sugar soda. The taste will grow on you. Then you can move on to caffeine free diet soda. However, if you simply cannot diet soda. Then here is another technique you can try...
Let's concentrate first on dealing with the craving for caffeine. Soda does pack quite a punch in this department, but not as much as tea or coffee. Instead of reaching immediately for a sugar soda, try a cup of tea (no cream or sugar) or a plain cup of coffee. You're getting the same amount of caffeine you're used to, without any of the calories in soda.
Now, let's move on to handling the sugar problem. Since there are literally at least ten teaspoons of sugar in the average can of soda, your body is used to quite a bit of sugar at this point. Sugar cravings are some of the hardest to face, and your best bet is to avoid going completely cold turkey.
You can start by cutting back on one soda a day (replacing it with a cup of coffee or tea) and then gradually keep cutting back until you're completely off it. This gradual method helps your brain and your body retrain from relying on this burst of sugar. You'll get more time to adjust and it will be much easier to completely get it out of your life with this technique. You can also try substituting with something that has a little sugar but fewer calories.
The key to retraining your cravings is to take it slow and avoid going cold turkey. Sugar and caffeine are quite a bit like serious drugs or even cigarettes. They can be addicting and without help, it can be very hard to simply stop. Weaning is by far the easiest method to try and it will help reduce your risk of failure.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
August 14th, 2008 — alcohol, alternative ideas, diet, healthy eating, moderation
If you are having trouble finding ways to eat out with your friends or family while you are on a diet, you don't have to resort to becoming a hermit. Eating out is not something that you want to do every day, but occasionally, it can serve as an important way of treating yourself for a job well done. You just have to make sure that it doesn't become the gateway to falling off the diet wagon.
Many people feel that once they are on a diet, fast food and restaurant food is off limits. This can lead to people chastising you for not being "fun," or being "too caught up in dieting." These people may not understand how hard it can be to try to keep to your diet and keep your friends. It's easy to get lost and not know where to turn when you're trying to find a way to keep going out without having your weight go up.
There are many ways that you can make healthy choices and still enjoy the whole experience of eating out. Let's look at a few ways that you can banish your guilt when you eat out.
1. Substitute your entrée choices.
Yes, that burger or steak may look terrific, but it may not be the best choice. Try looking online before you got out to eat to get an idea of the nutrition information for their menu. This can make it a lot easier to just order instead of agonizing over the menu at the table. Instead of that fatty burger, try to get sea bass or grilled chicken without oil. You'll still be able to enjoy your meal and your friends will be able to enjoy your company.
2. Skip the drinks.
Alcoholic drinks and soda are packed with empty calories and quickly add up. Stick with just plain water and you won't have to worry so much about what you order. Look at this way, would you rather have a lean steak or four glasses of beer? Find the right way to minimize your caloric intake.
3. Split large entrees or deserts.
This is a great way to build camaraderie and avoid pigging out on desert. You'll get a few bites, but you won't be able to eat the whole thing.
When you know you're going out to eat, it's all too easy to forego your other meals so that you have more freedom to eat a few more calories at dinner. This is a very bad idea and can make it easier to pig out at dinner because you are so hungry. Eat a good breakfast and a normal lunch so that you won't be tempted to eat everything in sight at dinner.
Lastly, it's ok to indulge every once in awhile, so long as you don't make a habit of it. It's also a good idea to equate the amount of exercise you would need to do to work off what you'll be eating. When faced with an extra hour of grueling cardio, that burger may suddenly seem a bit unappetizing.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
July 4th, 2008 — 100 pushups, diet, exercise, healthy eating, injury, push ups, pushups, roundup, wellness
Still got the bum foot, and so you get a plethora of links...
Check out the FREE eBook: How to Loss Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Check out my guest post @ StrongLifts: 7 Steps to Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Progress
So for this week from the Fitness Health Network I present to you:
Now for the rest of the blogosphere and to provide you with more weekend reading I present the following for mental digestion:
- Doesn't Tropical Granola just sound good? A healthy trail mix for those out golfing or hiking or just plain out and about. This delicious recipe is written by Nutrition Fitness Life.
- Tues Tips (sweaty edition) by Mizfitonline is all about laundry and detergent. What detergent do you use?
- Doing Pushups and Running Hills by Fit36 is a check in on the 100 pushups routine and on cardio. Take the challenge and follow your happy bloggers in the 100 Pushups Challenge.
- Rain or shine he's out there running. I mean just look at his post Running in the rain! He's better than the mailman.
- Posted over at Deflabbify My Fit Bank on Wii Fit got an upgrade tonight. Wii Fit is a game that will get you in shape. Poor Deflabbify has a younger daughter that's putting him through the paces. If I was better I bet my daughter would do that same to me.
- Cardio. Ugh... I have sweat? How many of you feel the same way Weight for Deb does? No excuses! Read FMU's post from this week.
Now belive it or not I actually found something very cool from an ad... I was browsing 100 pushups website and noticed an ad for Stack Magazine... Even better than what the ad promised (I don't even remember) was what I found on there site... Embedable and very cool workout videos of athletes... Check out my favorite so far... Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic doing the bench press... To my eye that is 315 pounds he is throwing around like it is nothing. (6 45 pound plates and the 45 pound bar).
Related Articles
Related Stores
June 8th, 2008 — diet, exercise, moderation, motivation, nutrition, weight loss, wellness
This week from the Fitness Health Network I present to you more of my favorite posts:
Here are some other articles that I found noteworthy this week from other blogs. Take a look at them:
- Andrew posts A run in the fog. Toward the end there was a segment on walking with a baby backpack. Forget the stroller; if you want a workout carry your baby around for an hour.
- Mizfitonline presents Guest Chef Time Thursday with three easy on the go meals and snacks.
- For some spot on healthier living choices, and I do mean living... read Reducing Allergies in Your Home posted by Nutrition Fitness Life for a room by room makeover.
Thanks to TheraputicReki for having us in their #141 - June 7 2008: Carnival of Healing and to Workoutebooks for Workout Blog Carnival - June 2, 2008
Related Articles
Related Stores
June 4th, 2008 — blood sugar, detox, trigger food
One of the most talked about concepts in the diet world right now is the process of detoxing your body from certain foods. There is a lot of hype surrounding this technique, so let's take a hard look at it to help you determine whether or not it's right for you. Like any diet, there are some that simply aren't suited for your personality, and there are those that are the perfect fit. Let's see what detoxing really stacks up to.
First and foremost, the detox process is not an easy one. Some foods are very addicting and can be very much like a drug. You'll also need to look at why you eat these "danger" foods. This will help you detox not only your body, but your mind as well. If you're not addressing both problems, you're doomed to fail. It's just like battling a drug addiction. First, you have to acknowledge the problem, then you have to take the steps to overcome it.
If you're not ready to take that step, then a diet detox most likely won't work. You need to have your head in the right place so that you will be able to get through the first few days. It ‘s not easy to completely cut out your favorite foods from your life, especially if you've become dependent on them. If you're not mentally ready, it will be all too easy to throw in the towel.
There are some cases where a diet detox can actually be harmful, or at the very least, very painful. If you eat a lot of sugar every day, your body is used to these levels. Suddenly remove all of that sugar and your system is going to go into meltdown. Your blood sugar levels will drop, you'll feel cranky and you may even experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, or blood sugar that is too low. The same is true if you're trying to detox from soda or even ice cream.
The whole point of a diet detox is to break the cycle of cravings. It is definitely not an easy way, but it can be effective. The best bet is to start with a secondary "danger" food. This gives you a chance to get a taste of success and will prepare you for handling the bigger craving. For example, if you are addicted to potato chips as well as ice cream, start with the potato chips. They're a lot easier to give up and you'll gain some confidence once you kick the habit. You can then move onto ice cream with a better outlook.
If you don't have a lot of willpower, or you are not someone that does well on a deprivation diet, then a diet detox is probably not the answer. It can be very effective, but only if you want it to be. If cold turkey quitting is a problem for you, there are other methods of losing weight that are just as effective.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores
May 21st, 2008 — goals, healthy eating, motivation
One of the key components to eating right is getting motivated. While it's easy enough at first to have grand plans, if you don't have enough motivation to do the follow through, there's just no point. In order to make sure that you're successful with your diet, you're going to need to make sure that your priorities are in order and that you have the right kind of motivation.
Before you even start your diet, we recommend making a list of all of the things that you hope to accomplish. Divide these into three columns: Physical Appearance, Body Health, Activities. Now, you'll be able to see all of the things on one sheet of paper. This makes it a lot easier to keep your goals right in front of you. Once you have them all down, redo your list and prioritize the things that are the most important to you. For example, if lowering your blood pressure is a high priority, move that to the top of the health list.
Once you have all of your items prioritized in each column, make a master list that contains them in order of importance. You'll be referring back to this as you start to meet your goals. By putting it on paper, you're giving yourself that visualization that makes it a lot easier to see your goals and meet them. While it's fine to keep it in your head, most people prefer having a hard copy. When you start to check those items off as goals attained, it really is a great feeling.
So, now that you have your list done, you're ready to start on your diet. Make sure that you select one that will make it easy to keep your goals at first. Rome was not built in a day and a good diet takes time to work. Don't doom yourself to failure by going on an extreme diet that you have no hope of keeping. Start small and work your way up. You'll be a lot less likely to call it quits after a few days and you'll be able to keep motivated.
One great way to start small is simply by cutting out a few of the foods you eat or drink every day that contain empty calories. Soda is the best place to start since you'll usually see pretty quick results. Try cutting out one or two a day at first, and then increase the amount until you are no longer drinking it. The results you see will keep you motivated and you won't be depriving yourself of it all at once.
Whenever you feel as though you want to quit with your diet, pull out that list and re-read it. See what you've crossed out and remind yourself that these are important goals that will change your life. It is easy to quit and walk away, but you will be paying the price for it for the rest of your life.
Photo Credits: 1
Related Articles
Related Stores